Timepiece mechanism and cabinet



Nov. 14, 1961 F. MARTI EI'AL 3,008,288

TIMEPIECE MECHANISM AND CABINET Filed Nov. 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a5 INVENTORS o 4 FEEDER/C MART! 54 GEORGES amwscnws/a 53 f" p [009 94 .97 6/ BY f ATTORNEY .5

Nov. 14, 1961 F. MART! ET AL 3,008,288

TIMEPIECE MECHANISM AND CABINET Filed Nov. 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS F REDE' RIC MART/ GEORGES BRAU/VSCHWE/G BY fad; lab;

ATTORNEYS United States Patent ()fihce 3,008,288 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 3,008,288 'TIMEPIECE MECHANISM AND CABENET Frederic Marti and Georges Braunschweig, both of 165 rue Numa Di'oz, La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland Filed Nov. 4, 1957, Ser. No. 694,433 Claims priority, application Switzerland Nov. 12, 1956 3 Claims. (Cl. 58-53) This invention relates to clocks, time-pieces, barometers, thermometers and similar instruments, and more particularly to battery-driven electrical clocks or timepieces.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a cabinet for timepieces, clocks, barometers, thermometers and similar instruments which is made of two complementary pieces fitting closely together and separable by simple mechanical means excluding screws, bolts, nuts and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clock which can be carried about and placed on supporting surfaces, and wherein the clock mechanism and driving mechanism therefor are enclosed in an unitary cabinet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clock and more particularly an electric clock wherein the entire mechanism of the clock including the power source for driving the timing mechanism is enclosed in a two-piece, dust-proof cabinet or casing which comprises a dial face in the upper end or head portion of the cabinet and having a lower planar surface or base around which the cabinet fits, whereby the clock may be supported in an upright position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet for timepieces, clocks, barometers, thermometers and similar instruments which is made of two separable half portions fitting closely together and separable by cam means which are invisible from the outside.

Another object of the invention comprises providing a clock and more particularly an electric clock having the driving and timing mechanism enclosed in a cabinet or casing composed of two complementary half portions, a front portion and a rear portion fitting closely together and separable by cam actuating means arranged in the base portion of the cabinet.

A novel and important feature consists in the arrangement of the cam member in a countersunk cavity in the base portion, the cam being actuated by a rotatable winged bolt or turnkey which extends outwardly into the countersunk cavity and which is invisible from the outside when the clock is'resting on its supporting surface.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of a clock of the character described, which is operable by a small dry cell battery, the latter being enclosed within the casing or cabinet of the clock, the outer surface of the cabinet being smooth and continuous except for the dial face opening therein, and the casing or cabinet being freed of external knobs, sockets, wiring, extensions, screws, nuts or protuberances of any kind.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric clock embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view in elevation of the clock shown in FIG. 1, and taken substantially along the lines 22 of FIGURE 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows, the rear half portion of the casing or cabinet having been removed to show the arrangement of the dial and driving mechanism and the electrical battery for operating the same.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the base portion of the clock in which the dry cell battery is retained and electrically connected to the timepiece mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is a view in section of the base member illustrated in FIGURE 3, and taken substantially along the line 44 of FIGURE 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken vertically through the clock and extending substantially on a vertical plane coinciding with lines 5-5 of FIGURE 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows, a portion of the dry cell battery shown in place being broken away to better illus trate the electrical cont-act connections and arrangement of the parts within the cabinet; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view in perspective of a modification of the clock shown in FIGURE 1, and wherein the dial face is slanted downward and inward towards a center line through the cabinet and substantially opposite to that shown in FIGURES 1 and 5.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, and particularly to FIGURES 1 to 5 inclusive, the clock illustrated comprises a spherical-shaped head portion 10 having a dial face generally designated 11, and a truncated coneshaped base portion 12. This base comprises a lower supporting surface 13 which is of relatively large diameter and which is connected to a tapered upper portion which extends to a neck 14 of lesser diameter and which is integrally connected to the head portion 10.

As illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 5, the head portion 10 and truncated supporting base portion 12 are integral, the same forming a hollow or shell-like structure which forms a housing or cabinet for the clock mechanism, as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 5. The cabinet is divided into two complementary half portions A and B, the latter forming a rear portion which is removable to perm-it access to the battery and clock works housed therein, as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

The dustproof cabinet half portions fit closely together along a parting line, as at 16 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 5. The cabinet or housing is preferably made of light weight metal such as aluminum, magnesium or suit able alloys thereof. If desired the housing or cabinet can be made of material other than metal, for example wood, plastic or the like synthetics which can be formed to shape or, when using resins or plastics, molded to shape and cured to provide a clock as illustrated in the drawings.

Preferably the outer surface of the cabinet enclosing the clock is provided with a smooth, hard ebony-dike finish.

The dial face 11 comprises an inner disc 13 carrying time indicia markings 19 for the hands 20 of the clock, which move thereover. This dial disc member 18 is secured to a circumferentially disposed ring member 22 which in turn is suitably fastened to the inside of the cabinet panel A as by the use of screws, and shown at 23, 24 and 25 in FIGURE 2. The ring member 22 is provided with circumferentially spaced cutaway portions 27, 28 and 29 for receiving integral flanges 30, 31 and 32 respectively, of the disc 18, whereby the parts may be suitably secured thereto.

A transparent cover plate or crystal of glass or plastic 33 is provided for the dial face to protect the hands and dial. Secured to the back of the disc member 18 is a clock work mechanism 34, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, and which is suitably enclosed in a transparent dustproof casing 35. The clock work comprises an electromagnetic energized mechanism for driving a balance wheel and escape mechanism as described in our copending application Ser. No. 499,960, filed April 4, 1955. An equivalent electrically driven clock mechanism, which is operable by a battery source of electricity may be used.

For supplying electrical energy to operate the clock works 34, there is enclosed within the clock a dry cell battery such as shown at 38. The battery is arranged in a socket or holder 39. This holder preferably comprises a plastic molded cup 49 which fits snugly in a metal socket 41 arranged at the base of the cabinet, as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 5.

Electrical connection is made from the dry cell battery 38 through the central and positive electrode 45, the latter being engaged by a spring actuated bar 46 which is connected through wire 47 to the clock works 34, and grounded back to the outer negative electrode of the battery as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 5. Bar 46 is hinged as at 48 to the bracket 49 which in turn is secured to the wall of the cabinet panel A. This hinged bar 46 is yieldably pressed down upon the electrode 45 of the dry cell battery by a spring 58 so that electrical connection is maintained between the clock works and the dry cell battery.

The base portion 12 of the housing or cabinet of the clock comprises a cylindrical metal base portion 52 which is provided with a flange 53 at its periphery forming a relatively wide supporting surface for the clock. A cylindrical shoulder 54 is shaped for receiving the lower part of the cabinet halves, as at 55, so that the same fit snugly thereagainst to provide a dust and moisture proof closure for the clock.

The base portion 52 of the clock is preferably made of heavy metal such as brass, which can be machined and made to fit snugly in the hollow chamber 60 of the base of the cabinet, being secured to the front portion thereof by machine screws 63 shown in dotted outline in FIGURE 2. A countersunk section 61 and shouldered upper cylindrical section 41 is formed on the base por tion. The latter comprises slotted yieldable wall portions 62 of a diameter to receive cup 40 which is made of molded plastic, glass or the like electrical insulating material and in which is retained the dry cell battery 38.

Electrical contact connection is made to the base of the dry cell battery through a centrally disposed metal button contact 66 suitably located in the bottom of the insulating cup 40. This contact button is electrically grounded through the metal strip 67 and return metal band 68 to the metal disc 18, and electro-magnetically operated clock mechanism 34, the circuit being completed to the battery terminal electrode 45 through the lead wire 47.

For securing the rear cabinet panel B in place, and snugly against the panel A, panel B is provided with an inner abutment or shoulder 72 at the top of the spherical head portion 10, and two similar lower inner wall abutments or shoulders '73 on each side of the panel, upon each of which abutments on its outer face is mounted an L-shaped spring clip 76. These spring clips are adapted to engage in complementary clip retainer brackets 78, 79 and 80 respectively, mounted on the cabinet panel A, the clip retainer brackets being suitably fastcned in place on the inner wall of the panel A, as by screws, being in registration to receive and retain the curved outer end portions 82 of the clips.

A dustproof spring retained housing or cabinet for enclosing the entire clock and battery mechanism is thus provided.

To permit release of the spring clips holding the rear panel B to the front panel A, a push rod 85 is mounted in the chamber 86 beneath the battery cup insert 40, as illustrated in FIGURE 5. The push rod 85 is yieldably reciprocated in a bore 84 extending through the wall 87 of the base portion 52. A coil spring 89 arranged about the upper shank of the push rod and between the head portion 91 and wall 87 of the base portion 52 tends to maintain the push rod withdrawn, as illustrated in FIG- URE 5. The push rod 85 is actuated to release the spring retainer clips by means of a cam actuating mechanism 94 mounted in the base portion 52, as illustrated in FIGURE 5. A winged bolt 96 extends through a central bore 97 in the base and permits easy actuation of the cam operated release means. A cam 98, is fixedly secured on the inner end of the bolt 96. The elliptical surface of the cam is arranged to be engaged by the head of the spring pressed push rod 85. Rotation of the nut 96 by means of the attached wing member 108 causes the push rod to be moved outward of the bore 84 and engage the wall of the cabinet panel B separating it from the spring retained engagement with the front panel A whereby the cabinet is opened and the panel B removed.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 6, a similarly constructed clock is provided except that the dial face portion of the clock is inclined downwardly as illustrated at C in the front panel D. The rear panel E being similarly constructed and spring retained in abutting engagement with the front panel D along a mid-section line 182, as in the cabinet construction illustrated and described in FIGURES 1 and S.

The above described novel cabinet can, of course, be utilized for housing clocks of a type other than the one described in the above embodiment, such as pendulum clocks or handwo-und clocks and also for barometers, thermometers and similar instruments.

It will be understood that the particular embodiment hereinabove illustrated and described may be modified in formal respects, such as by the substitution of equivalents, and that the parts may be of different shapes and arrangement, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A streamlined housing for a clock of the character described, said housing comprising an upstanding front portion the upper part of which encloses a timekeeping mechanism, the lower part of which is semi-cylindrical and the bottom of which has a recess, a complementary rear portion adapted to fit flush against said front portion along a thin vertical seam, a plurality of spring fingers and detents carried by said front and rear portions for releasably holding them closely together, a cylindrical bottom plate fastened in the recess in the bottom of said front portion, said plate having a recess in its bottom, said rear portion being adapted to fit around said plate, and cam means carried by said plate for pushing said front and rear portions apart to open said housing, said cam means including a manually actuated lever positioned in the recess in the bottom of said plate and operatively connected through an extension thereof to a push rod journalle-d in said plate and movable radially to separate said front and rear portions.

The structure in claim 1 wherein said cam means includes an eccentric disc mounted on the upper face of said bottom plate and engaging the rear of said push rod, and a spring which urges said push rod normally into retracted position.

3. The structure in claim 1 wherein the upper face of said bottom plate is recessed to form a battery cup within which a battery to power said clock can be placed and removably retained inside said housing.

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